Job 29

וַיֹּ֣סֶף אִ֭יּוֹב שְׂאֵ֥ת מְשָׁל֗וֹ וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

And Job continued his discourse:

Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,

מִֽי־יִתְּנֵ֥נִי כְיַרְחֵי־קֶ֑דֶם כִּ֝ימֵ֗י אֱל֣וֹהַּ יִשְׁמְרֵֽנִי׃

“How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me,

Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;

בְּהִלּ֣וֹ נֵ֭רוֹ עֲלֵ֣י רֹאשִׁ֑י לְ֝אוֹרוֹ אֵ֣לֶךְ חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃

when His lamp shone above my head, and by His light I walked through the darkness,

When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;

כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר הָ֭יִיתִי בִּימֵ֣י חָרְפִּ֑י בְּס֥וֹד אֱ֝ל֗וֹהַּ עֲלֵ֣י אָהֳלִֽי׃

when I was in my prime, when the friendship of God rested on my tent,

As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;

בְּע֣וֹד שַׁ֭דַּי עִמָּדִ֑י סְבִ֖יבוֹתַ֣י נְעָרָֽי׃

when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me,

When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;

בִּרְחֹ֣ץ הֲלִיכַ֣י בְּחֵמָ֑ה וְצ֥וּר יָצ֥וּק עִ֝מָּדִ֗י פַּלְגֵי־שָֽׁמֶן׃

when my steps were bathed in cream and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!

When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;

בְּצֵ֣אתִי שַׁ֣עַר עֲלֵי־קָ֑רֶת בָּ֝רְח֗וֹב אָכִ֥ין מוֹשָׁבִֽי׃

When I went out to the city gate and took my seat in the public square,

When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street!

רָא֣וּנִי נְעָרִ֣ים וְנֶחְבָּ֑אוּ וִֽ֝ישִׁישִׁים קָ֣מוּ עָמָֽדוּ׃

the young men saw me and withdrew, and the old men rose to their feet.

The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.

שָׂ֭רִים עָצְר֣וּ בְמִלִּ֑ים וְ֝כַ֗ף יָשִׂ֥ימוּ לְפִיהֶֽם׃

The princes refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands.

The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.

קוֹל־נְגִידִ֥ים נֶחְבָּ֑אוּ וּ֝לְשׁוֹנָ֗ם לְחִכָּ֥ם דָּבֵֽקָה׃

The voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths.

The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.

כִּ֤י אֹ֣זֶן שָׁ֭מְעָה וַֽתְּאַשְּׁרֵ֑נִי וְעַ֥יִן רָ֝אֲתָ֗ה וַתְּעִידֵֽנִי׃

For those who heard me called me blessed, and those who saw me commended me,

When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:

כִּֽי־אֲ֭מַלֵּט עָנִ֣י מְשַׁוֵּ֑עַ וְ֝יָת֗וֹם וְֽלֹא־עֹזֵ֥ר לֽוֹ׃

because I rescued the poor who cried out and the fatherless who had no helper.

Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.

בִּרְכַּ֣ת אֹ֭בֵד עָלַ֣י תָּבֹ֑א וְלֵ֖ב אַלְמָנָ֣ה אַרְנִֽן׃

The dying man blessed me, and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.

The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.

צֶ֣דֶק לָ֭בַשְׁתִּי וַיִּלְבָּשֵׁ֑נִי כִּֽמְעִ֥יל וְ֝צָנִ֗יף מִשְׁפָּטִֽי׃

I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; justice was my robe and my turban.

I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.

עֵינַ֣יִם הָ֭יִיתִי לַֽעִוֵּ֑ר וְרַגְלַ֖יִם לַפִּסֵּ֣חַ אָֽנִי׃

I served as eyes to the blind and as feet to the lame.

I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.

אָ֣ב אָ֭נֹכִֽי לָֽאֶבְיוֹנִ֑ים וְרִ֖ב לֹא־יָדַ֣עְתִּי אֶחְקְרֵֽהוּ׃

I was a father to the needy, and I took up the case of the stranger.

I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.

וָֽ֭אֲשַׁבְּרָה מְתַלְּע֣וֹת עַוָּ֑ל וּ֝מִשִּׁנָּ֗יו אַשְׁלִ֥יךְ טָֽרֶף׃

I shattered the fangs of the unjust and snatched the prey from his teeth.

And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.

וָ֭אֹמַר עִם־קִנִּ֣י אֶגְוָ֑ע וְ֝כַח֗וֹל אַרְבֶּ֥ה יָמִֽים׃

So I thought: ‘I will die in my nest and multiply my days as the sand.

Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.

שָׁרְשִׁ֣י פָת֣וּחַ אֱלֵי־מָ֑יִם וְ֝טַ֗ל יָלִ֥ין בִּקְצִירִֽי׃

My roots will spread out to the waters, and the dew will rest nightly on my branches.

My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.

כְּ֭בוֹדִי חָדָ֣שׁ עִמָּדִ֑י וְ֝קַשְׁתִּ֗י בְּיָדִ֥י תַחֲלִֽיף׃

My glory is ever new within me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.’

My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.

לִֽי־שָׁמְע֥וּ וְיִחֵ֑לּוּ וְ֝יִדְּמ֗וּ לְמ֣וֹ עֲצָתִֽי׃

Men listened to me with expectation, waiting silently for my counsel.

Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.

אַחֲרֵ֣י דְ֭בָרִי לֹ֣א יִשְׁנ֑וּ וְ֝עָלֵ֗ימוֹ תִּטֹּ֥ף מִלָּתִֽי׃

After my words, they spoke no more; my speech settled on them like dew.

After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.

וְיִֽחֲל֣וּ כַמָּטָ֣ר לִ֑י וּ֝פִיהֶ֗ם פָּעֲר֥וּ לְמַלְקֽוֹשׁ׃

They waited for me as for rain and drank in my words like spring showers.

And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.

אֶשְׂחַ֣ק אֲ֭לֵהֶם לֹ֣א יַאֲמִ֑ינוּ וְא֥וֹר פָּ֝נַ֗י לֹ֣א יַפִּילֽוּן׃

If I smiled at them, they did not believe it; the light of my countenance was precious.

If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.

אֶֽבֲחַ֣ר דַּרְכָּם֮ וְאֵשֵׁ֪ב רֹ֥אשׁ וְ֭אֶשְׁכּוֹן כְּמֶ֣לֶךְ בַּגְּד֑וּד כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר אֲבֵלִ֣ים יְנַחֵֽם׃

I chose their course and presided as chief. So I dwelt as a king among his troops, as a comforter of the mourners.

I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.